So close So Far
by KittyMayhem
Summary: The gang takes a break from the norm and go to Daphne's Uncle's house for a wedding and some fun. Fred and Shaggy discover more than a rekindled friendship. Fred/Shaggy Slash, OOC, Angst, Sap, and some other stuff.
1. Chapter 1

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** Disclaimer:**  
I do not in any way, shape, and/or form own Scooby Doo, its characters, or anything creepy that goes on in the series. I do, however, own the right to manipulate anything I see fit.

I also do not own the songs I happen to place in here. I like 'em though, and you should like 'em too dang it!

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AN: Just so you guys know, this isn't a couple I've ever worked with. It was a challenge issued, and a challenge taken by yours truly. I haven't had anything submitted or read in quite some time, so this is a little nerve wracking. Hopefully I can get the job done, and finally make this my excuse to come back to the web...for a little while anyhow.

Other than that, if you have a problem with slash, yaoi, or whatever you want to call it these days, GET OVER IT. The world has evolved, and I have better things to do than to hear the decades old summary of "EW!" Click the HOME button, or find something constructive to do.

Everyone else, enjoy~~!

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Bold italics - **_'thoughts'  
_**Bold font - **rhetorical questions  
**Italics- "_Lyrics_" _//Lyrics//_

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**_ Part 1:_** So far away

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**12:35 p.m.:**

The tin like sound of the old girl rattled his brain as well as his body from time to time. She was old and getting older, with no sure sight of just how long she'd last. He hated not knowing, and he hated the dry wheezing pop of the muffler when something stuck under her hood. Getting her fixed was out of the question. They hadn't the finances or the parts meant for a classic lady. Lately jobs had been scarce and few, and those jobs they had taken left them with little more than the knowledge that there were some truly messed up people lying in the darkness. All in all, he knew it was a goner the moment she'd sputtered, coughed, and wheezed her way into Volkswagen heaven when he'd turned the key in an effort to make a trip he KNEW she wasn't meant for.

"You're still mourning over her, aren't you."

He said it more as a statement than anything. He nodded, quietly biting his lip when the slender hand of his friend gripped his shoulder. Silent comfort was all he could be given. She'd been through so much...

"She was a beauty...and now, she rests."

"Yeah...oh man...this sucks so bad."

"Yeah man...it does. But it's for the best. You've had her since your parents co-signed on the 'junk on wheels', I think they said."

"Eight glorious years...I'm going to miss her...."

"Me too, man....me too."

He held his head in proper mourning. Well, he tried. The sound snickers of the girls kept him from going to deep into this phase. He spun, lightly glaring at them trying desperately not to giggle but failing miserably. In the end, his face proved to be too much, and they cracked up and down on the floor.

"You girls have no respect!"

They laughed even harder at him. Bright blue eyes watered only by tears of laughter peered up at him before closing against an uncontrollable fit of giggles. "Please tell me you're not mourning the car," she wheezed. His solemn look only kept her holding her gut in hysterics. "Oh my god..."

"Give me a break here!"

"How about we give you a pill?" the other laughed. She wiped her eyes beneath those thick frames; snickering all the while she managed to get up off of her knees. "Honestly Fred, it's just a car!"

"It's a Classic Volkswagen! You can't find vehicles like this anymore...and she brought us everywhere..."

"Looks like she got sick of us--"

"Daphne--"

"And its not like you didn't get another one," she pointed out. She, too, managed to get to her feet, dusting off her latest outfit with light brushed of her manicured hands. She turned on those three inch heels and pointed, showcasing the new machine up and waiting for them to finally get in it. He pouted and started her giggling again. "You've had this one for a week now!"

"Hey, we don't say anything to you when you're mourning over the dryer that fried!" his best friend shot. "Have some respect!"

"Reah! Rome REPECT!"

She glared at the duo, hands placing themselves on her slender hips. "If I recall, I seem to remember you two trying to make s'mores with it."

"Hey, the commercial said it could do it! Besides...we were hungry!"

"REAH!"

"And you had nothing better to do than test out that theory on a blow dryer that cost me seventy bucks?"

He snorted and turned his nose up at the very idea of spending that much on a blow dryer. A well earned meal, with four desserts, yeah. That? "Pfft. Like, you need to get your money back, pronto." His dog whole heartedly agreed, getting a bright laugh out of the dejected guy standing beside them. He smiled at bit at him, glad that he'd brought him out of his funk a bit. "Like, you shouldn't buy anything that says it can do something and it doesn't, like, deliver! Hey, speaking of deliver---"

Their resident genius cut him off before he could get started. "Uh-uh! We can stop on the way. Besides," she stated, pushing up her glasses little bit, "didn't you just eat an hour ago?"

"Yeah! But, like, that was an hour ago! Scoob and I are practically starving now!"

The Great Dane whimpered and threw himself on the floor. His owner would have joined him had she not pulled four snacks out of her pocket. They were gone and down their throats in seconds. Less if they hadn't thought to breathe. It brought them back to life and had Fred laughing at them again.

This is how it always was. Somehow Fred would be pouting about something, Daphne and Velma would mock him for it, and it would be Scooby and their resident Hippie, Shaggy, to bring him out of his funk. The girls would lighten up and the day would move on, usually with them looking for some work. It wasn't as if they didn't have other things to do, but their time was better spent on the road than settled someplace for long. They'd tried that once, and it didn't end well for any of them.

Taking one last look at the old girl, he patted her rusted grill ever so gently. It was about ten seconds from falling off, so anything harder would have made this worse. Her paint was chipping, her engine long gone, and her insides were old, tattered, and worn through. The faded words of her dubbed name were still there, but the "mystery" had become how she ran for so long. Not wanting to think about it or the memories residing there, he quickly moved on to their newest member of the family; a modified 2007 Volkswagen that didn't run on diesel. She sat pretty on the end of the drive way, revved up and ready to go toward wherever they would go. Her paint new, her insides flawless, and her engine a long ways from sputtering, she was in tip top shape.

But she wasn't quite home yet.

Honestly...no place was actually home.

"We have to go, you guys!" Daphne called. She was already by the doors, tapping her watch restlessly when she saw the time. "We were supposed to be on the road fifteen minutes ago!"

"And WHY are we ALL going to see Dear Uncle Liam?" Shaggy groused tiredly. "Like...it's not a ghost or anything else, is it?"

"No silly! I was invited to my cousin's wedding."

"WEDDING?!"

"As in, tuxedoes?" Fred murmured. "None of which we have?"

"And dresses?" Velma inquired irritably holding the bridge of her nose, "Which we also don't have?"

"Hey, I'm all for it if there's free eats!" Shaggy exclaimed. "Weddings are only second best to buffet tables..."

"Why'd do you say that?"

"At a buffet table, I don't have to worry about stains!"

She held her head a little more. Fred snickered, "You asked for that one."

Daphne cut them all off with a wave of her hand. "Don't worry about all that," she said. "All of that is taken care of. All we have to do is show up. Besides," she said flipping a bit of her long hair back, "We need a weekend to relax."

And they did. Honestly and truly they needed a break from all this. Driving from place to place and stumbling into god knows what have the time was giving Shaggy honest to god gray hairs. Why he wasn't white haired and paler than he was, was beyond Fred. Scooby was no better. The Great Dane jumped at the smallest thing these days. It could have been anything, and he would still run scrambling for a way out. Velma looked as if she could use several nights not thinking. The light bags under her eyes were more than noticeable when her glasses reflected the morning sun. Burning the midnight oil trying to figure out who did what was catching up to her. And Daphne?

"Come on! Let's get going already!"

She was refreshed and eager to go as ever. It only meant that she was tired of being the pretty face chased by perverts and those who wanted their services in the first place. Yet Daphne was Daphne. She couldn't go anywhere looking like anything less that Daphnesque, which in turn was part of the reason they were late now. Fred sighed and reluctantly nodded. A break would do them some good.

"You driving?"

Well, SOME. Once again he was behind the wheel, cranking the newly dubbed Mystery Machine up. Their bags lie in the back and upon the roof, Daphne in the center seat and Velma sitting on the far right end of the passenger seat. Her head fell against the window. He checked the rearview mirror and sighed again. Shaggy and Scooby were more than comfortable in the back seats, lying against one another to snore the whole way there. It was just he and Daphne as they pulled out of the driveway to leave Coolsville and head for open country.

At least until she pulled her headset out.

**_ 'Looks like its just me and you brain...'_**

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**_3:49 p.m.:_**

_ "I know sorries just wouldn't do it...  
Her heart is obliterated,  
I'm trying to travel through  
but it's like  
Moving Mountains..."_

The smooth baritone voice singing a piece of pop's latest endless flow stirred him from his nap. From the moment he'd hit the cushions of a backseat that he never had, he'd been out like a light. Late nights and working odd end jobs were to blame, and the spiraling lights of late comers didn't help. For some reason, the youth of the town had gotten restless. Teens were coming and going at all hours, screaming their fool heads off in their intoxication and drunken dreams of a party too wild to remember properly. At the odd age of twenty-something or other, nights like that hadn't then and wouldn't ever pluck his interest.

However, the sweet sounds of a voice he hadn't heard in a long while made him crack open an eye.

The vehicle was still moving, steady and flawless in her motion. There were no bumps, cracks, that loud popping of something breaking, or that smell of fumes coming from the **inside** of the car. A part of him missed it, but the other part (his back) didn't quite care. He noticed the sun had gotten past the highest point and settled midway into the west. Now was as good a time as ever to be glad of circulated air. Before, he might have roasted alive without knowing. He reveled in it, and the sight of Scooby sitting happily between the girls. Well, laying over them. He snored softly as things went along, head buried in Velma's lap and being Daphne's cushion. The girls didn't budge. Daphne's headphones sat unused in her purse, and Velma muttered equations in her sleep.

He would have settled back into the realm of slumber, had he not thought about something.

**_ '.....how did I get up here?'_**

_ "But I keep climbing  
and hoping things will change;  
When the sky turns grey  
and the water from the rain  
washes progress away...  
It's like  
Moving Mountains..."_

He stopped looking in the rearview mirror and gently moved his head to the left. Fred was sitting in his direct line of sight, mind on the road and lost in the song softly crooning through the Volkswagen. Near the very end of it, he aimlessly clicked something. He realized it was the CD player, and watched in interest as the thing spun and picked out a random song. The familiar pluck of a chord against the bass made him fully aware. It took him a moment, but he sat up and effortlessly leaned back in his hippie chic cool.

"_Cause I've run a mile...In my head..._"

Fred smiled quietly, turning onto the next patch of dirt leading them further out into the country. Like the turn, he didn't miss a beat of the song. "_Didn't listen to...a thing that you said..._"

"_But it's the simple things....that make you smile..._"

"_....It's the simple things...that make you smile...._"

Shaggy nodded. Simple things. Simple things like this...like singing a song. Jeez, if he were anymore mellow, he'd be buzzed right about now. He slouched a little more and nudged Fred lightly with his green eyes. "Hey...did I sleepwalk into the front again?"

"Yep."

"Good. I'm tired of getting the backseat."

"Why don't you try hopping in the front from now on?"

He shook his head, almost leaning forward enough to place his head on the dashboard. His shaggy head of brown just barely covered the beginnings of his face, giving him that youthful uncaring look of rebel sitting back without a thought to share. His smile lit up the cabin, and Fred couldn't keep himself from smiling back. "Are you, like, serious man?" he laughed softly. "Daphne would beat the tar out of me...then you!"

"You could outrun her any day and you know it."

"Maybe...doesn't mean I want to. Too much effort," he said before Fred could call him on that open-ended response. He grinned in triumph, running a hand through his shoulder length locks. He'd decided a while back to let it grow out from that bowl like cut, and now it was a messy sheen of rugged hair old men would die for. One would swear--and Daphne often did--that he'd purposely gone out and done something to it. He hadn't. Didn't she wish she could do that. "She'd murder me for my hair, and my love of s'mores!"

".....did you honestly--?"

"Yeah manand it was awesome! That'll teach her for not telling me about my stove..."

Now that was another story within itself. Fred laughed, reaching out to nudge Shaggy on one of his folded arms. "I told you not to let her cook!"

"Man, she's a chick! I thought she could!"

"Riiiight. Who are we talking about now??"

"Tch, whatever. I got my s'mores."

He laughed again. Shaggy kept a smile to himself and looked out the window. Fred didn't smile as much as he used to...and he didn't sing like he used to either. They didn't do much of anything they used to do anymore. The only thing they ever did that was the same was drive.

Where had they grown apart?

He lifted his head at the end of the song, and tried not to think about it. He knew where they had gone wrong, and it was partially his fault. The steady strum of another guitar singing away through the speakers, kept him from going down that road, and kept him from his best friend's worried gaze. His brooding always had Fred's attention, even if they were driving to who knew where.

"_I know I've been mistaken...  
but just give me a break  
and see the changes that I've made..."_

** Shaggy...**

At least they had this; short conversations that ended with them singing. Short conversations with words littered between each verse, a calling that they knew and understood better than anyone. He could hear the unsaid question lingering in the air.

"_I've got some imperfections...  
But how can you collect them all  
and throw them in my face?_"

** Are you still mad about that?**

He answered slowly and strongly, startling Fred with the power behind his voice. Shaggy never sung like this...not when he could help it.

"_And you always find a way  
To keep me right here waiting..."_

** Does it matter? I'm here....you're here. It's enough.**

It had to be. Otherwise...he might have given second thought to the whole getting buzzed thing.

".....Shaggy?!"

".....Crraaaaaaaaap...."

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**_5:53 p.m.:_**

By the time they finally pulled into their destination, the girls still hadn't stopped pestering Shaggy. He could sing when he wanted, and he didn't sing in fear of people pestering him like this. Fred kindly parked the car and turned off the engine, stalling long enough to see Shaggy flee the confines of the passenger seat. Velma, Daphne, and Scooby were out seconds later leaving him alone with the sudden face of an attendant perched on his side. He smiled sheepishly at the young man, scooting out of the car in time for it to be swarmed with a bunch of people he hadn't seen come or go. He should have been used to it by now. Every time they went to visit one of Daphne's relatives they wound up surrounded by help of all sorts. Butlers, Maids, Valet; you name it, that service was provided in some way, shape, or form. He snorted lightly to himself and quickly scooted out of the way of the rushing younger butlers. Another thing he'd learned is not to get in their way. They were on a mission and that mission was to place their things in rooms they wouldn't find until tonight.

It probably was a good thing it was going on six.

"Uncle Liam!"

"Daphne my dear! Welcome, welcome! We've been expecting you!"

Fred ignored the sound of his car being parked somewhere else. Velma stopped tugging on Shaggy's arm, and Scooby stopped sniffing her out for those hidden snacks she kept. Fred parked himself on Shaggy's free side in time for 'Uncle Liam' to stand before them.

He was a man of fair build, muscular in his arms and tall. He was about an inch taller than Shaggy. However, his girth was one of a well fed man, jolly in and out of the home. Somehow the words "Santa" and "Presents" came to mind. They could see his belly move as he laughed kindly at their strange position. Sure enough, that twinkle of mirth they found in Daphne was in his own blue eyes, taking in the sight and amusement of them when Shaggy finally managed to trip over his own foot. Fred reached out to right him, but slipped himself when Scooby tried to catch Shaggy himself. Down they went in a pile, and Fred was left to stare up as Shaggy moaned sideways. Scooby sat down, laughing sheepishly at them.

"Rorry Raggy...."

"Oh, goodness!" he rumbled deeply. A large hand covered his red beard; a subtle stroke keeping the laughter at bay. "Are you lads all right?"

A little dirt didn't kill anyone. Concrete did...and it **smart**. He sat up long before Fred, rubbing his aching elbows and wincing at the scrapes he'd gotten. **_'Another set to add to the collection...'_**

"Shaggy?!"

"I'm fine Fred...nothing I can't handle."

"Nonsense my boy," Uncle Liam said. "Come now...we'll get this looked at and cleaned properly. No use in getting hurt before the party!"

Party?? What party??! The boys and Velma looked at Daphne shrugging at them. "I forgot," she said. "We usually throw a party the night before the wedding to loosen us up. Oh come on, it'll be fun!"

"Fun? I thought relaxing was fun," Shaggy muttered. He started to get up, only to have another set of hands lifting him faster. Fred stood as his support, pulling him to stand upright. But...

"Oh crap!"

"....damn...are you okay?!"

....somehow, his feet never failed to place him in awkward positions. Once again he was looking up, cheeks redder than ever, and completely aware of just how this looked. He had his arms locked around his shoulders, body folded into his own for support and with the added handicap of Fred's arms wrapped around his waist. That was DAPHNE'S thing, NOT his! She was supposed to be the helpless one here, clinging to him and hoping to God he wouldn't move because his foot hurt like hell. It would go away on its own, but damn it if he couldn't move it now! He didn't have much choice in the way this was going, especially when Fred somehow flipped him onto his back.

"Freddie!"

"Just sit tight."

"I can--"

"No you can't so shut up."

Shutting up was good. Burying his face somewhere where no one could see him was even better. He groaned pathetically into his hands and was carried off into the Estate everyone was too busy to awe over.

**_ 'Like...Craaaaaaaaaaaap!'_**

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Just so you know...I was listening to my Zune when I did that whole song thing. ^-^

Part 2


	2. Chapter 2

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Part Duex!

**AN:**  
Okay...we've woven away from the challenge a bit. So sue me. I can't do the whole GET TO THE POINT thing.  
Then it would be BORING.  
So....let's play for another chapter or two...  
And add a little SMUT. ^_____^

And....I'm still listening to the ZUNE.

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_**Part 2:**_ Closer

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**6:13 p.m.:**

"Better?"

The thought of kicking him in the face wasn't all that appealing now. He flexed his foot, somewhat glad for the ace bandage. It was the massage that did him in, and kept him from kicking him just for the hell of it. "...yeah. Thanks."

"No problem, Shags."

Shags? Who in the world came up with that--oh, wait. **_'He did.'_**

"Can you walk on it?"

If he couldn't, he was going to make due. There was no room for a sequel! "I'm fine."

"Sure?"

"......if I say yes, you're going to tote me around anyway aren't you?"

Blonde locks falling in and out of his face didn't hide the smug knowing grin on that angular work of art. **_'Man, he's such a jock,'_** he thought. After all this time, it still felt appropriate to associate that name with him. It was mainly because of the girth of those arms currently sheathed in nothing. Summer Days meant slow business, and it meant stripping for the masses. So instead of that long sleeved thing he tended to wear, or that short dress shirt, he wore a wife beater...and denim cargo shorts that were freaking LOW. And the idiot wondered why all these women tended to flock to him!

"Shaggy?"

".....man, how the hell do you manage to stay in shape?" he murmured. "Like....it's unreal."

"Same way you stay thin," Freddy murmured. "Running away."

"You wanna live--"

"--You run like hell," he laughed silently. Shaggy laughed himself, absently patting Fred on the shoulder. It should always be like this...friends laughing with one another, conversing softly, having a moment. He nudged him lightly with the heel of his palm, waiting for the light jab he usually got for his trouble. It didn't come. He got something else instead, and he nearly died of blood rushing to his head.

"Fred...."

"Hmm?"

"Like....what are you doing?"

"Wondering why the hell your freaking legs are so** firm**," he muttered. His right hand had taken hold of his left calf, right above where he'd finished wrapping his left ankle. He mindlessly let his fingers wander over the firm muscle, tracing the indents of perfect sculpture and the darkness of an old faded scar. Something about this particular scar never really rubbed him right. It was deep and jagged, tearing into the perfect muscle; its healing never right and damaging forever and always. He stopped his thoughts before he could go down that road and poked playfully at the smooth skin. "And shaved..."

"......swimming."

"You swim? Since when?"

"It was part of therapy...and it kind of stuck."

Therapy. Now there was a word some people needed to hear. However, when it came to that scar, this sort of therapy wasn't something he wanted Shaggy to add to his past adventures. Another curious caress of known scar, and he settled for tracing the edge of the bandages. Shaggy relaxed a bit, curiosity piqued when he thought about something.

"Like...since when did you know first-aid?"

"Velma."

"Velma?? Oh...right."

"She does most of the patch work."

"What's the story this time? I thought she didn't trust you with anything or any part of someone else's body??"

"I think she got side tracked with the lay of the land," he snorted through a dry chuckle. In actuality, he'd managed to snatch Shaggy up before she could say anything. He was probably going to get an earful for it later...if she could catch him. "Besides...you trust me, right?"

"Of course! You're, like, my best human bud!"

It was just like Shaggy to say something like that.

"Raggy??"

It was just like Scooby to tentatively poke his head in the door and see if things were all right. Shaggy grinned that grin he reserved for his best pal, the Great Dane that gingerly trotted into the room and sat down at their feet. Shaggy's nimble and thin fingers snaked out to rub Scooby's ear, quickly finding that spot that would have had the dog purring if he were a cat. He wasn't, but damn it if his staying power didn't tempt the whole nine lives thing.

"I suppose you want to limp to dinner?" Fred teased lightly. "Or...should I carry you again?"

Shaggy pretended to think about it. "How about...you just help me along?" he mused. "Like...be my crutch."

"I suppose..."

".........you're, like, still going to carry me, aren't you..."

In the end, it wasn't worth fighting over. Scooby walked out in front of them, snickering the whole while at Fred helping Shaggy along. He might have shifted his weight to take on the brunt of them both a bit, but it was the thought that counted. Scooby glanced at them from his lead. They were still bickering, but smiling at one another. Fred always seemed to lighten up when Shaggy was near, and Shaggy never seemed to pay much mind to anything that might have frightened him otherwise. They complemented one another. They had for years.

Scooby could only shake his head and walk off in search of that beef he smelt simmering down in the dining room. If dogs figured it out in one whiff, why were humans so slow?

Humans were the strangest creatures ever, he decided. Strange...and _**slow**_.

* * *

**6:25 p.m.:**

They made it down into the dinning room where dinner was just being served. Shaggy's stomach groaned in appreciation. The man had a stomach like a bottomless well. Who knew where he put it all! The spread was as massive as they expected it to be. It was, after all, a known trait of Daphne's family. Everything was done with taste and lavish, though in their eyes this was a small get together meal. Small meant a party of at least fifteen, with their five to add to the mix. So of course that table was long, and yes, they were seated near the head with dear old Uncle Liam.

Fred would have sworn this was another job if Daphne hadn't flagged them down.

"Guys...up here!" she called. "Come, sit!"

Two seats remained unclaimed in wait of them. Across from one another. Shaggy unwrapped his arm from around Fred's neck and made for the first one on the left side. Velma stood, helping them out by pulling Shaggy's chair out for him. He sat down in relief and excitement, rubbing his hands together in the presence of that wonderful thing called food. Behind him, Velma threw a questioning glance at Freddy. He shrugged, not knowing what that meant and slipped by her in time to claim her seat.

"Juvenile..." she muttered.

"Juvenile got your seat!"

Scooby was already seated on the other side of Shaggy. He looked at her and shook his head. It wasn't happening. She sighed and resigned herself to the sweet scent of Daphne's latest perfume and the promise that her allergies were going to be screaming at her later. She sat down as Daphne looked to her right, smiling at the two gentlemen seated at the first two seats. Uncle Liam was at the head of the table naturally, and grinned a little grin spying them. Shaggy was too focused on the food to notice, and Fred was currently going over his finances in his head. Velma would have gone into her mindless equation mumbling if Daphne hadn't snapped them out of it with her fingers.

"No mind wandering tonight!" she chided. "We're here to have fun!"

"Like, no one's mind wandering," Shaggy said. "Like...we want to eat!"

"REAH! EAT!"

"Before we do that, I'd like to introduce you to the marrying couple," she said. Of course. It was only proper that they meet those who were preordained to the alter the next morning. After all, they were getting free food, room, and board! Eyes skirted to the front, and found no couple that suited wedded bliss.

"So, like, where's the lucky groom and bride to be?" Shaggy asked.

"Right here. This is Cousin Jarrod...and his fianc, Darrel."

It was a good thing they hadn't been in the middle of eating. Shaggy mindlessly bit his tongue, desperate not to scream the loud "WHAT?!" going through his head. Fred jarred him out of his shock. His cheeks were flaming; his posture was relaxed and stiffened all in one. Someone had let his imagination get the better of him again. Lord knew what went on in that head of his. Shaggy nudged him and gave him a look that only made it that much worse.

"........you don't want to know," Fred murmured.

Jarrod, or course, was a red head. Most of the people in Daphne's family were by nature or by choice. His light blue eyes crinkled in amusement at the duo he'd come to know as Freddie and Shaggy. Fair skinned by nature (like most of the Blake's), his slightly freckled but strong hand rested over his prominent chin. If it wasn't for the suit and the posture, they might have assumed he was a lumber jack. He certainly had the build of one. Muscles were defined and hidden somewhat under the dress shirt he wore. The sleeves were rolled up, giving them a good view of those massive things he called forearms.

Well, maybe to Shaggy, who suddenly felt the need to fold his thin arms in his lap. Fred didn't hide his impression. He absently wondered if them man trained for a living, or was naturally built that way. Velma was currently trying not to match Freddie. It proved to be of no use when he smiled and laughed deeply at the gang.

"You guys are definitely characters," Jarrod chuckled. "Don't forget, we derive from the Scottish lads now, eh?"

"Who could forget," Darrel grumbled playfully. "You like tossing anything and everything...and the skirt is a DEAD giveaway..."

"It's a Kilt, and yeah, it is. Mom should have known."

Darrel shook his head and laughed soundly at the smirk he was given. His tanned skin was a nice contrast against the fair skinned hand taking his. Jet black hair highlighted only by subtle streaks of blonde were the only clue they were getting as to his heritage. His face was a mix of masculine meets feminine, like one of those new pop stars that looked too good for his own right. Slender but firm chin; high cheekbones; sexy eyes...

Shaggy blinked a bit. Zac Effron came to mind, and he didn't know why. _**'Like...Weird.'**_

His eyes were a strange mix of green and blue, brightening to a soft sea like color when he looked up at Jarrod. They could only imagine what color they were when they were alone...and then it was time to change that thought.

Darrel was tossed somewhere between Shaggy's height and Fred's build. He wasn't as built as either Fred or Jarrod, but he had a nice slender figure made for someone like Jarrod. Easy to hold, and easy to lift. He, too, was dressed to kill in a sleeveless mock sweater tank, and from what Velma saw earlier, leather pants that fit him like a glove. He was eye candy through and through, and damned if everyone didn't know it. His slightly softer voice startled them a bit. They weren't expecting it to be quite that deep...or soothing.

Noting her friends reactions, Daphne smiled sheepishly at them. "Did I happen to mention that they were two men, in love, and not taking no for an answer?"

They shook their heads. It wasn't the fact that it was two men. Oh _NO_. It was the fact that it was a BLAKE, and Daphne didn't care less.

Scooby didn't care either. He was hungry and he let them know with a paw slapping the table top. Up when one of the drumsticks and down his throat it went. They laughed and joined in, digging into the food so generously placed in lieu of the morning's events.

Although Shaggy silently vowed to find out just what had Freddie blushing so much. It wasn't like him. _**'Usually.'**_

* * *

**9:35 p.m.:**

**_'Okay....I'm full, content, and tired...so why am I here?'_**

Shaggy couldn't answer his own question. Usually after dinner was the leisurely part of the trip. The exploring, or going to bed. Or being chased somewhere in the middle of all that. Yet, none of that happened. Right after dessert had been devoured, the gang had traveled to the outside of the Villa, into the back gardens where said ceremony was to be held. Velma, by then, was popping her first bout of allergy pills, already put off by the floral pollen seeded throughout the mansion. They traveled along one of several gravel paths leading into the heart of the garden, passing the range of exotic and succulent flora known by Velma but admired by the others. Fred couldn't quite keep his fingers from lingering on the petals of the many velvet roses, smiling to himself as they headed for the thunder. The ground quaked a bit more with each step, until they were before it and staring into the opening of an enclosed tent.

From the outside, it appeared to be nothing more than a blanket of white within the green of life sitting behind that building. Looking within, they found the means to let loose. People of all shapes and sizes were scattered within, most of them on the open dance floor and doing what they did best. Those who weren't grinding to the beat were sitting, standing, laughing, and talking, or watching the commotion that was the DJ flipping out another beat. The heavy Bass that was the backdrop thrummed heavily through them. Another popular song, and one no one minded dancing to. Daphne stole Fred's hand and yanked him on the dance floor.

"And there they go," he murmured. Velma patted his shoulder lightly, offering what sympathy she could give. However, her interest were quickly skirted to a young man taking her hand and yanking **her** on the dance floor. It probably had something to do with that halter top...and a pair of hot pants she'd been conned into on a dare. The girl wasn't fat; she just dressed like it.

"It's like night and day," someone said. He looked to his right and spied the soon-to-be-wed couple standing aside him. They were still dressed in their suits, though casually and not for the sake of business. Jarrod whistled low and long, spying Velma doing her thing on the dance floor. Shaggy grinned a bit and relaxed. Velma was smart, yes, but the girl didn't know her true potential.

"Cousin Shaggy, was it?"

"Yeah. How's it hanging?"

Darrel popped him in the side before he could answer that. "Ow! Oh come on..."

"That was too easy for you," Darrel muttered. "I think we kept that Fred guy lightheaded enough."

Fred's impression of a tomato hit a world record of some sort at dinner. He could have been drunk and they wouldn't have known. "Yeah, well..." Jarrod shrugged, smirking faintly as he looked to the floor, "He's fun to tease...and obvious as hell."

"Like, what are you talking about?" Shaggy asked. "Obvious about what?"

"He's got the hots for someone...and doesn't even know it."

"......you're, like, talking about Daphne, aren't you."

"No, like, I'm not," he laughed. "Wake up cous, he's **so** _not_ digging the female lass." Shaggy canted a single brow at the laugh, questioning this man's sanity. If he wasn't blind, he was nuts. He had to be! Or diagnosed with one of those diseases famous people get richer for. Jarrod winked at him as he pulled Darrel along, joining in on the dance craze that had hit the room. "He's got his eye on someone else, kid!" Darrel called. "Trust us! We know!"

Shaggy let his mind wander a little too far and almost smacked himself. **_'Velma? No way....like, UH-UH! _**

But what if--

**_'Okay, NO. NO, NO, NO.'_**

His brain was about to be disowned at this rate. He kept a small sigh to himself and thought about wandering over in the direction of the food. His foot was feeling much better, and it wasn't too far of a walk. No one would notice if he slipped out of here once he'd collected his prize. They never did. Plan in mind, he took that first step, pleased when his left foot didn't scream in protest.

_//This is sick...//_

The rip of the chord didn't strike him to the uncanny events that were about to unfold. He was too focused on his plan to notice the DJ eyeing him in the distance. Someone else was eyeing him as well, a glint of malice in their eyes when the slender arm of someone else reached out and grabbed Shaggy.

"Attention...it's time to dance!" The DJ shouted. "Get your butts on the floor and show me what you got!"

The chord ripped again, repeating it three more times before the throb of that heavy bass overwhelmed him. The scent of heavy perfume mixed with the light musk of sweat drifted heavily in his nose. For a moment he could have sworn she'd be there before him, blonde hair swaying in time with her hips; those shapely legs dancing backward on those heels just for him. Instead, he found another woman, just as shapely and deathly with looks that could have any grown man drooling at her feet. Black streaked with the fire red that was her spirit called for fingers to stroke the wild mane, eyes wide with amber smoldered and set him on fire from within. Her red lips parted a bit; her tongue snaking out just so to lick clean the dot of champagne still lingering at the corner of her mouth. Her hand kept hold of his, pulling his somewhat clumsy frame forward and into the fray.

_//Work like you're working a pole  
Shake it 'til you're shaking the floor  
Pop it like you're poppin' a cork_

_Oh, Don't stop, Don't Stop...//_

Her body was fluid with the beat, steady in its rhythm and determined in its actions. Hips tempered only by the bare minimum anyone would call pants, they enticed, called, and sung their way into the minds of everyone staring at them. He found himself captivated...captivated by the thought that she must be drunker than he'd thought.

_//Jerk it like you're making it choke  
Break it like you're breaking a code  
Drop it till you're taking it lower_

_Drop it, Drop it...//_

She pressed herself close again, lips dangerously close to the underside of his chin. He could feel her warmth flowing through him, smell the sweet scent that was her laced through that interesting mix of champagne, chocolate, and something just as deadly as pure sin. Her eyes were filled with the promise that this was only the beginning. He swallowed thickly and backed up, falling into something twice as warm and harder than she would ever be. He relaxed, and promptly stiffened when it wrapped its hands on his waist.

"Fred?!"

_//This is serious  
I'm delirious  
So oblivious//  
_

Fred let out an uneasy breath, forcing himself not to groan. Shaggy wasn't in those infernal brown things he liked to wear tonight. No. The young man had decided to change with the rest of them, and now...

"You wanna dance?"

Shaggy looked at him as if he was delirious. "Dance?!"

"Sure thing!"

"Fred, wait a---whoa!!"

_//I could dance all night...//_

The she-harlot was pulled back into the fray and left to seduce the unlucky man that had set his sights on her. Unfortunately for her, it was no one else but Jarrod, shaking his head and plucking her in her own. "Caitlyn...I swear," he sighed yanking her away from them, "You bring Sirens worry with that succubus act."

"He looked lonely," she smirked. "So, I offered my company."

This feeling just makes me high

Jarrod plucked her in the forehead again and pointed. "Not ** happening**."

_//As long as it's funky...//_

Fred ignored her loud protest of shock, not in the least bit worried. He laced his hands with the slender smaller ones, grinning when she laughed and moved in time with them. Shaggy lowered his head a bit and couldn't quite keep it together when Daphne sauntered up behind Fred and grabbed his waist. He laughed, never quite noticing the blue eyes glazing over from behind. His ankle was still protesting the use of extreme dancing, but it didn't stop him or his friends from moving his hips. This wasn't so bad!

_//This rhythm just makes me high...//_

Velma slipped out from before him and grabbed Daphne, pulling the taller girl aside them and dancing like never before. Daphne gleefully joined in, leaving the boys to either watch or dance with themselves. Shaggy stopped for a second, finding it hard to concentrate with the heady scent of cologne and musk hitting him harder than the sweetness of that girl. He almost stumbled back, holding his head a bit when he spun to spy Fred over his shoulder.

"Fred?"

"Let's keep dancing," he said. He smiled gently as he slipped his hands into Shaggy's, pausing long enough to place his head against the nape of his neck. He wasn't used to having all that hair there, and he wasn't used to Shaggy getting all this attention. He may not have known it, but that chick was one of several talking about him now. The last thing he wanted was for one of them to place their claws in him. After that whole mess...he didn't want to see his friend like that. "Let's have fun...and pretend we don't have to be or do anything."

_//I'm like a junkie...//_

Shaggy turned, unsure of when Fred had gotten taller, or when his eyes ever looked like midnight pools littered with stars. He nodded and for once moved the way he moved when he was alone. Fred quickly learned that even the meekest of people can put those with experience to shame, and was suddenly SO glad her invitation was denied. Hands still laced with his own, he didn't quite care what anyone thought when he pulled Shaggy closer and headed down to the floor.

Why couldn't people move like this all the time? _**'Because I'd probably pass out...oh jeez!'**_

_//I could dance all night...//_

* * *

One more!!


	3. Chapter 3

* * *

Last part! I swear!!

**AN:**  
I could NOT resist having them dance. They always dance somehow or another, but this time...^___^  
Freddie got an eyeful~~~!

Lolli-Lolli was appropriate...but that meant X-rated stuffs...

LIKE NOW! YAY! XD

* * *

**Part 3:** Can I come over?

* * *

**11:35 p.m.:**

The ceremony wasn't for another several hours. Even so, partying into the night wasn't going to do much else than give half of those in attendance a hang-over or a headache. Most of that would be saved for tomorrow when the real partying started. After dancing for two hours straight, the exhaustion of the day finally caught up with them and it was time to retire. They headed back for the large Villa looming over them in the darkness, kissed beneath the light of a waning moon.

The Head Butler was waiting for them in the vast opening that was the main room. They hadn't really had a moment to actually reside in their rooms or find out where their things were. The staff had taken their bags shortly after they had come, and after dinner they'd only grabbed a change of clothes from where the bags had been stored for the moment. Now they were in their respective rooms, located somewhere up on the second level. They followed without being asked, more than ready to hit the mattress and pass out as Shaggy kindly put it.

It took a good bit of effort to climb the thirty stairs curving upward and unto the second level. The followed the length of the banister, stepping past it into the western wing of the villa. The Butler silently led them down the appropriate corridors, finally coming to a stop when he saw the first door of five. Daphne didn't need to be told which one was hers. She slipped into her room with a wave, and nearly closed the door on Scooby's tail when he slid in with her.

"I thought---"

Shaggy shrugged. "Scooby has his moments," he yawned. "I'm too tired to care."

"Miss Velma, your room is two doors down. Mr. Rodgers?"

"Like, yeah man?"

The butler pointed to the door adjacent from Daphne's. "Your room is there. Mr. Fred, I'm afraid the last room is being occupied by Master Jarrod," he explained. "I've been instructed to take you to the other wing, with our sincere apologies."

Now that was a first...and something they weren't used to. They had their own rooms...and they were being separated. Shaggy sobered up from his sleepy high, unable to do or say anything. The look on Fred's face was strange even in its own right. Velma was confused herself, but chalked it up to their spending nearly every waking moment with one another. She, for one, was glad for a moment of privacy and quickly took it with a bright, "Goodnight!"

"Goodnight, Velma," Fred called. She smiled a bit and closed herself off. The boys were left alone in an awkward silence. Fred rubbed the back of his head tiredly. "So...I'll see you in the morning?"

"Like, sure man."

"Well rested?"

"For sure! It's not like we have to get up this time!"

True. He smiled tiredly, reaching out to lightly tap Shaggy's chin. "See ya bud."

"Yeah...see ya."

Fred walked off with the Butler, leaving Shaggy alone with his hand on the door and a sudden jolt of pain he couldn't quite place. He waited until he was out of sight to limp into his room, shrug out of his clothing, and climb into the waiting king sized bed. Those four pillows sitting pretty and fluffy at the head of the bed were calling for his head in the worst way. A nice plop down worthy of a score of ten, and he was ready for his brain to shut down.

Twenty-three minutes later, he sincerely wondered WHY his brain was being a rebel tonight.

* * *

**1:47 a.m.:**

The bed was comfortable. He knew that. His body knew it, and his back knew it too. Those nights lying on the bottom of the old girl or in those broken down seats had taken their toll. That, and add the factor that he was getting too old for everything he pulled five hours earlier on that dance floor, he should have been in la-la land. His brain should have shut down the factory and his eyes shut for the duration, and by now he should have been in REM or at least in an awkward position. He was never one to simply sleep. So he was told. When he was in a good sleep, his body lay claim to anything and everything, and it was very easy for him to be wrapped up against a pillow or a body. THAT should have been him now...but it wasn't.

So why at 1:49 a.m. was he currently darting quietly through the halls?

"I don't have the slightest idea," he murmured to himself. His brain said differently. He promptly told it to stow it as he found himself down a familiar corridor.

_**'This is not the kitchen...'**_

No, it was not the kitchen, and yes, he was still scratching the back of his head. The kitchen was in the lower part of this labyrinth, which meant that he should have gone down another flight of stairs somewhere. He was too tired to really find the effort to go where he wanted.

"But not tired enough to sleep," he sighed. That was just great. Daphne was going to rip him a new one for sure in the morning.

Was it his fault that he couldn't sleep?!

Somehow he made his way to a door and leaned against it. His sleep muddled yet awake brain did nothing to take in the kind of wood, color or it, or the exquisite curvature of the engravings etched beneath his fingers. He was too tired to care, and too awake to forget why he wasn't sleeping. It's not like he didn't have nights like this. Nights like this usually resulted in exhaustion getting the better of him. He tended not to wake up until noon the next day, which was not going to sit well with Daphne. She'd have his head and then feed it to the guests if he arrived without the much needed rest he was supposed to be getting. However, he had the distinct feeling that this was going to be an all time first. At this rate, he wasn't going to do much else but mull over WHY...and he'd already done that for the last two hours.

Lying awake in his bed three hours prior, he'd done his best to bore himself to sleep. He'd counted the wrinkles in his sheets (none), counted the cracks in the ceiling, (again, none), and even counted how many times he'd sighed in a span of five minutes (38 times...). Once boredom was a failure, he decided to try it in a different form. Reading. It was without fail a known fact that any and all Blake households had a vast expenditure of reading littered throughout the house. Each room was privy to a selection of whatever happened to be on the market. He slipped out of bed and wandered over to the bookcase, hoping to find something. He could have easily brushed up on a bunch of diseases that were hard to pronounce, or maybe fried his brain into overload with the contents of an encyclopedia. Usually there was no telling...except this time when his fingers had slipped onto the binding and pulled. He'd flipped the book to read the cover and dropped to the floor holding his head. The book remained on the floor smirking at him, laughing at the dismay on his face.

How the hell was he supposed to know it was the Kama Sutra?! The **GAY** Kama Sutra?!

Somehow he'd managed to place the book back, and had pulled another one. It read "Midnight Thirsts", and that was enough. He'd shoved that book back, never minding the twining lock of two men plastered on the front. He didn't notice how one guy looked as if he were in heaven as the other leant into his neck; how his eyes remained closed, fingers curled into the brunet's hair and looking like he was begging silently to be ravished. Didn't flip into the middle of the book, read an eyeful and quickly wished he hadn't. He definitely didn't think about how that title played on his mind, or how he was left rubbing the side of his neck and wondering about the legends of vampires. He hadn't stumbled back into the bed, mumbling with red cheeks, lost in his over reactive imagination and more awake than ever. Nope.

"And who the hell are you trying to kid?!" he snapped at himself. All he'd gotten for his "cures" was an image he couldn't get rid of, and something else he hadn't been able to relieve. Whatever happened to a predictable novel of mystery? Or, a book on something safely boring like balls or something?

"Oh god...I need sleep," he moaned. He slid down and thunked his head on the door, ready to resort to hitting it harder if it meant passing out. "I do not need her killing me in the morning...."

"Like...I don't need you creeping me out either," a voice mumbled. He looked up and spied the sleepy gaze of his best friend blearily looking down at him. Would it have been considered involuntary manslaughter to die of a dry mouth, or suicide? He didn't know, and sincerely didn't want to be the first victim of that question. He shut his mouth and tried not to stare at the lithe body sinking down to his level.

"Did I wake you?"

"Like no....the boogie man in the closet woke me with his moaning," he sighed. "I think he was getting lucky because he sure was LOUD."

"Loud enough to wake you and not the others?"

"Moron," he muttered affectionately flicking him in his forehead. "I wasn't sleeping. I CAN'T," he admitted none to gently. "Believe you me, I want nothing more than to sleep, but like...insomnia is something I'm not used to dealing with."

"....oh."

"Any ideas, Fred?"

Several, but none of which he said aloud. He chided his overactive brain for thinking such things and managed to crawl into the doorway. Once he was in, he gave the door a good kick and shut the door. Shaggy lifted himself up and crossed back over to the comfortable bed. He slumped down into the white fluff, not surprised to see and feel another body plopping down aside him. One eye peered upward to spy Fred glancing down, sleep more than apparent but far from his reach. His mind was going on about something...and he wasn't quite sure if he wanted to know what.

"Like....you saw something, didn't you," he mused.

Fred bit the inside of his cheek. "A couple of things," he said easily. "But nothing important. Why are you still up?"

"I could ask you the same thing man."

"You could. So?"

"So...what?"

"Why don't you?"

"Why don't I what?"

"Why don't you ask me why I'm still up?"

"Like, why **are** you still up?!"

"I don't have the first flipping clue!" he crowed, holding the sides of his head and plopping backwards. His eyes hurt, his head hurt, and now his body was sore with an ache he didn't dare tread on. He felt Shaggy shifting on the bed. He didn't open his eyes. He kept them covered from the soft light of the lamp clicking itself on and stayed where he was as the bed shifted again. He might have dropped off like that, had thin nimble fingers not dug themselves into the pressure points of his temple. He knew the sound out of his mouth was obscene, but he didn't care. Not when those fingers were working magic on his aching brain.

"You shouldn't get all worked up like this," Shaggy murmured. He kept up the gentle massage, knowing how much it tended to calm down anyone he used it on. Scooby was the guinea pig he'd started on and slowly that massage evolved to include humans. He'd only ever used it on two people, and the other was not here. Blonde as well, but not here. "It's not good for you."

He couldn't keep the deep groan coming from the center of his chest when his hands moved to his scalp. Scooby had to be the luckiest dog on the planet. "Whatever..."

"....doesn't Daphne do this for you?"

"....are you insane?"

"No...more like, curious is all?"

"Why would she?" he asked, opening his slightly hazed eyes to spy Shaggy staring down at him. "That was over before it even got started," he said. "She's a good girl...but keeping up with her was like trying to keep up with Lance Armstrong. How many times did he win Tour le France?"

"Seven."

"Exactly. Anyone else got tested for shooting testosterone. I'm that guy."

".....like....do you wish it hadn't been so short?"

"....no." And he didn't. When he'd had the chance to think about it, it seemed like the logical thing to do at the time. He was the cool looking guy, she was the hot chick; everything told them they should be together as well as everyone. A good looking couple, powerful and decisive, sure to grow and eventually head down the path of marriage. He would be the world famous Detective/Reporter/Photographer, and she would be the High Fashion Journalist traveling to all the corners of the earth. That's how it would have, and perhaps, should have been.

Yet, it wasn't. They had too many different interests. He wasn't one to sacrifice it all to do what someone else wanted all the time. He did that enough with the whole gang, and even then they let him have his say when it was due. When she wanted to go somewhere, it was someplace he had no business or interest in being there. Facials? Spas? Shopping? Not that often, and most certainly not with a girl who tried to change him. He and she realized it when the mention of a different hair color came into play. She was treating him like a Ken doll, and he was treating her like Barbie. Saying yes to everything and getting nothing in return.

Fred looked away a bit, gathering his thoughts through the mind numbing scratching of Shaggy's fingers. No, he didn't wish it was that short. "I wish it hadn't have happened," he murmured. "She needs someone who will say 'no' and mean it. Not a good friend."

".....Like, you never got past first base, did you."

"Like, NOPE."

Shaggy laughed a bit, shifting himself so that Fred's head was in his lap. A strange and gratifying sense of relief flooded him then. He couldn't quite place his fingers on why, but he was glad. Fred's soft smile of drowsiness was turning into one of total relaxation. His knotted brow had relaxed, and his dimples had subsided in lieu of yawning and moaning his appreciation for the scalp massage. If he wasn't careful, the man would fall asleep in his lap.

Somehow, he didn't quite care.

"So like, what's the deal with Velma?" he asked. Fred's brow canted at his off the wall question. "Is she, or isn't she?"

"Huh?? OH! Oh no. NO!" He shook his head laughing and waved his hands to further emphasize his loud protest. "No way man. She's picky is all, and no one pays attention with those glasses and that sweater."

"I suppose that's change now. I can't believe Daphne got her to go out in a Halter Top!"

"She got a nice reaction. Daphne's says she wants to take Velma shopping. I mean, she let her hair grow out some, so why not the rest?"

"Like, the rest is grown out! She just covers it up with those sweaters."

"Shoot me if I ever go back to those long sleeved things," Fred laughed. "I look like such a Jock."

"Do the same for me if I go back to those brown things...and that shirt!" Shaggy chuckled. "Oh man...it's like I had, twenty of the same shirt!"

"You did...because it was your favorite color."

"It still is...Scooby sniffed out that shirt." He stalled his fingers from their massage and reached out to gently trace the line that was Fred's defined nose. His own had a small hump to it, a distinguishing feature bestowed upon him via his father's gene's. Fred's was the definitive of perfect, given the fact that he'd broken it once or twice. His fingers stopped at the end of his nose, flicking the tip of it lightly. Fred laughed and snatched his hand, effectively pulling him down.

"Scooby sniffed out that shirt?"

"Like, yeah man. It was before...the first day of high school."

"You don't say?"

"I needed a shirt...and Scooby wandered into my closet and was like, sniffing around the stuff my mom bought but I never wore. He pulled out that shirt, and I figured I'd go with the hippie tree loving look. I wasn't, like, trying to impress anyone."

".....you did look good in it," Fred mused. "When you were a cute kid."

"Cute?!"

"Yeah! Girls fed you because you were **adorable**. Scooby was a bonus!"

"So like, if that's the case, why couldn't I score a date to save my life?!"

Fred shrugged. Shaggy slumped down and thumped his hand on his silent laughing chest. "You suck."

Fred grabbed his other hand and pulled, dragging Shaggy out of his position and landing awkwardly at his side. Somehow his head managed to find refuge on his shoulder while the remainder of his torso lie across his own. It had them laughing again, but they didn't move for the better part of five minutes.

Fred found himself thinking about the old girl sitting back home in the garage. Nights when they had no shelter resulted in them pulling out old blankets and such for the girls to sleep on in the back. Scooby would crawl in and be their pillow, content to have and share the heat on colder nights. He and Shaggy would be sleeping on the seats up front, taking turns throughout the night if they needed to keep driving. If not, they'd take a corner of the back to themselves and stay up a bit longer talking about anything and nothing. Eventually sleep would get the better of them and they'd conk out only to wake sleeping awkwardly against one another. More often than not, Shaggy's head curled under his own was an incentive enough to go back to sleep. He didn't want to wake him...not when nightmares plagued his thoughts a good bit of the time. Doing what they did made Shaggy more of a nervous wreck than ever and sleep was the least he could give him.

It was bad enough when those sick people decided to play it up for whatever reason. When those sick people became real monsters, he found himself questioning the integrity of myths and folklore. It wasn't as accurate as seeing it up close. Either way, when they stumbled across one of those, Shaggy was up for nights on end. He was up, too, easing him into some hours of sleep until he couldn't quite take it himself. It was easier that way...and more comforting the longer he thought about it.

Which only made the thought slipping into his sleep hazed brain a stimulant rather than a tranquilizer. **_'Damn you, stupid brain! You couldn't think of that earlier?!'_** He resisted sucking his teeth and stared down at Shaggy idly tapping the protruding end of his collarbone. He was thinking, but not so deeply that he didn't blush appropriately when Fred linked their hands together.

"....Fred?"

"......you know, after that whole Googie thing, I thought for sure you'd leave," he said quietly. Shaggy bit his lip, unsure of where Fred was going with this. Fred gently placed their hands over his heart, sighing as his nose found the head of umber he'd been unconsciously thinking of all night. "I didn't think you'd ever come back home."

"She was...really special to me," he admitted. "Like, the only girl who really noticed me. I thought for sure..."

"I thought so, too. She broke your heart...and broke mine, too."

"Like...how did she break your heart? You weren't like...dating her...were you?"

"Might as well have been...she took you away. Stole my best friend away...kept him to herself."

".....I did miss you Fred. I did. I just...didn't know how to say no...you know?"

"She hung up on me."

"I didn't know at the time..."

"....but she had the right idea."

Shaggy looked at him as if he'd lost his mind. Fred shook his head silently, inhaling the scent of faded Axe and Shampoo that smelt of peaches and cream. Shaggy must have gotten the girly bathroom. "You needed a break from us...from what we do. Your nerves were shot to hell, and you know it," he said before Shaggy could protest. "Besides...you needed a break from me."

".....being away from you made it harder to sleep," Shaggy admitted softly. "She was there...but she didn't know how to calm me down. Even Scooby couldn't calm me down like you could. I didn't trust her like you..." _**'Didn't love her...like you...'**_

".....you trust me now?"

"Of course! Why?"

_**'Because I'm about to loose my mind...'**_

He didn't quite need to say it. He nudged his head upward with a soft breath, moving in to steal those lips before he could say anything. It was nothing more than a two second kiss; short, sweet, and chaste in all intentions, but speaking volumes in its very existence. He knew his cheeks were on fire...and he was pretty sure those lurid thoughts were about to hit him harder than they had about twenty minutes ago. Shaggy gaped at him, fixing his jaw in a tight grip that might have had Fred leaping out of the bed. Thankfully Shaggy's eyes weren't good at lying, and neither was he.

".....man, you have like, the WORST timing," Shaggy muttered.

"Hey! I'm not doing it at _**your**_ wedding! Although that would have been interesting."

"No way! Like, just so we're clear...that wasn't a friend kiss, was it?"

"Hmm? No, why?"

Shaggy effectively shut him up with another, silencing him into complete stupidity with that thing he was doing with his tongue. How the heck did he know how to do that?! It didn't much matter after a moment, stealing his breath away with a light flick of his tongue against the soft palate trembling in excitement. He gave him a second to breathe, stealing his senses away with open wet kisses, mapping the inner caverns of that warmth thoroughly and thoughtfully. He tasted of mint and chocolate, and something more he couldn't quite finger, but found just as addicting as nibbling his lower lip. He got the nicest reaction out of him, and he was too glad he wasn't wearing that infernal gown tonight.

No one had ever kissed him like this, or even TRIED. While he may have been the popular one, he was also a bit of a prude when it came to girls. They were just happy to be attached to his arm, even if they might have been dating Red Herring.

He laughed, almost swearing that the idiot was screaming at him from afar. Shaggy pulled away and bopped him in his shoulder. "Stop thinking about that idiot!"

"I c-can't help it...it's just too funny!"

"Huh. Well this will be hilarious...I'm going to sleep!"

"What?! NO!"

"Give me one good reason not to."

He could give him several...and he decided that enough was enough. Without warning or knowing how it happened, Shaggy was underneath him, gasping for air he couldn't quite catch. Fred's lips were enjoying themselves on the small groove between his chin and neck, and his hands were quickly skirting up the length of his exposed thigh...

"You want to know what I saw earlier?" he breathed against his cheek. Shaggy blinked and almost swore he was in bed with a closeted incubus. That smoldering look left his back in a puddle, and his will was tossed out to the floor much like his t-shirt in the next moment. He had a feeling that sleep was the last thing on Fred's mind.

_**'Oh my GOD...'**_

* * *

XD Cliffhanger! HAH!

No worries...onto the next part!


	4. Chapter 4

* * *

Okay, so I lied! Shoot me!

*hides*

**AN:  
**I'm having too much fun with this. I had to break it up further so it wasn't as big...  
And then there's this thing about writing lemons.

Not too long, not to short, but...somewhere along those lines.

::blows dust off of lemon-aid book and sets meters to moderate::

I have the full capability of getting rather lewd...but we'll keep it a bit tepid now, eh?

* * *

**Part 4:** Waiting for you

* * *

**2:42 a.m.:**

"The what?!"

"The male version of the Kama Sutra..."

"Like....are you serious?!"

"If you hadn't worn me out, I'd get up and show you," he murmured. All he got was a light stroke of his scalp and a scoff for even suggesting it. "I'm telling you...it was like **porn** central."

"I'm starting to wonder if the Blake's are closeted perverts...that would explain the upright front..."

"....did I knock the 'like'...out of you??"

"Like, no," he chuckled. "I'm too tired to notice...but I'm noticing something else."

He should have been. By the law of nature and general habits of man, they should have been sleeping this off. This tired sensation of bone deep satisfaction that had them grinning stupidly into the darkness. He rolled up onto his elbows, grimacing at the discomfort of sticky boxers clinging to places he had further plans for. Not really thinking about it, he crawled out of them, shucked them to the far corner of the room where they landed in a heap next to a pair of loose gym shorts. Those had gotten chucked about fifteen minutes ago, and for that much he now had a very nude man by the name of Shaggy Rodgers pinned beneath him.

That shaggy hair of his lie in a brunette mess scrawled against the pillow he lie upon. His own flaxen locks lie in a disarray, covering his eyes a bit but not enough to see Shaggy's affectionate gaze pondering his own. Fingers with a mind all their own reached to gently caress those still swollen lips, wondering at the silken feel of such things. Kissing him was much different than kissing any girl he'd been with. They wanted to cling to him, dig their nails into his muscular skin and drive themselves onto his lap, hoping to get a taste of what he could offer. Not Shaggy. Not his best friend. He'd wrapped his long arms around his shoulders, pulling him deeper and further into the couple that was them wrestling the temptation to give in too soon. It didn't happen that way. He'd been too tempting, so sensitive...so** vocal**, he'd only wanted to drive him off of that cliff much further and faster. He couldn't keep it together long enough to remove his boxers then, but the bright lights behind his eyes and exhausted laughs kept him from feeling too bad about it.

_**'.....I want all of him...'**_

".....how far?" he asked quietly. Shaggy opened his eyes a little more, gasping at the feel of his hips spreading themselves further. Fred's restraint was fading quickly, and he pressed himself closer and harder the longer Shaggy waited to answer him. "Please...how far....?"

As much as he wanted to think strait, it was hard now. Someone like Fred wasn't able to keep his passions to himself, especially when he was wrapped up like this in something new. Yet, it wasn't so new. It was an old dance they'd grown familiar with and added their own steps to as it progressed. They fumbled here and there, forgot a step or two, but who didn't? Now their steps were fluid and meaningful, aware to them and ingrained in them as the sun was to the skies. Denying this...denying him....denying himself; it wasn't in the plan. It wasn't in the nerves that shot through his spine and dared him to look Freddy in the eye.

It wasn't new...but this...was a new start.

"As far as you'll take me," he said softly. Fred all but groaned towards the ceiling. Did he know what he was saying? What he was implying?! He looked down at him, questioning his sanity and his own when those slender arms wrapped themselves around his broad shoulders. Again he was pulling him closer and he found himself buried in the warmth and acceptance that was and would always be Shaggy.

Broad fingers callused with years of escaping lingered a breath away from the overly sensitive skin beneath it. Shaggy's visible shiver had his mouth playing with the underside of his chin again, laving and nipping at the sensitive area just below his ear. His fingers fell and gently squeezed the plump dusky nipple rising in accordance. The hard flesh pebbled and puckered, begging for his lips to pay it the same mind his neck was getting. It was going to have to wait. He grinned against the goose-bumps his breath had caused, teeth lightly but firmly worrying the skin that tasted like sunshine. Soft licks were all he would offer in apology, nuzzling the mark he'd made as his hand moved a little lower.

Those hips...those slender tantalizing hips that had been on display earlier that night twitched when his fingers pressed into them. Years of running themselves stupid and recovering from that stupidity had left Shaggy with a body he wasn't aware of. He was well toned, lean, and slender wrapped up in a natural tan anyone would have been envious of. Muscle could be seen under that lithe form stretched out in its cat like grace beneath him, flexing and contracting with every fleeting trace of his curious fingers. It had been a blur the first time, bodies moving in the rising heat, unable to truly relish the soft gasps floating in his ear. Another fell from his lips coupled by a low moan of his own as he shifted his hips. Heated flesh met and clung, the cool air of the room quickly succumbing to the silent heat quickly engulfing them and their personal space. His fingers moved lower and skirted over the firm inner thighs moving further apart to accommodate and invite. How skin could be this smooth...how any one could be this warm...

_**'Mine....all mine...'**_

Shaggy's fingers fell into the blonde tresses tickling his chest, sighing when those warm wet lips kissed the very center of his chest. His heart lurched and thundered a bit more, making it harder to concentrate on anything other than Fred taking his fill. These little hitching noises coming from himself were downright embarrassing, but he couldn't quite help it. As much as he would have liked them to believe, he really didn't have much experience in anything sexually related. Googie was the first and last to touch him before this, and even then, she never quite went where Fred's lips had traveled to. Soft deliberate heat made his skin crawl in anticipation, his eyes closing in disbelief and unbridled ecstasy at the first lick.

"Sweet..."

It was all he said, and all he was going to say as his devious mind came into play. Shaggy didn't know whether to kiss or kill Fred, leaving him up and unattended as he tended to the more sensitive parts of his hips. A kiss here, a lingering suckle of soft unbearably sensitive skin there; and he could have lost it when he saw that lewd face sensuously lick a strait line from the crevasse of his right leg to the center of his thigh. His eyes were positively set on fire; a thousand and one thoughts flickering obscenely through a smirk worthy of an incubus. The light trail of glistening saliva only had firm fingers to trail back down, spreading themselves out to rub an open palm up and over his weeping shaft.

"Oh jeez...Fred...."

"Hmm?"

The words died on his tongue with another maddeningly slow rub. Pressed between his hard hand and his quivering body, he should have known not to look. Those tresses were back tickling his skin lightly as his tongue lapped firmly at the weeping tip pooling near his navel. Soft suckling kisses kept him pinned and quivering, unable to move even when a searing heat engulfed him and swallowed him whole. The first instinctive swallow had him gasping, and the second forced him up several inches. Fred grabbed his hips and pulled, draping his legs over his shoulders and greedily devouring everything he was offered. Shaggy's fingers tightened themselves in Fred's hair, threatening to pull out clumps of it as he felt the pressure of it all building against his spine. Sparks were flying, the heat was rising, and if he didn't let go...

"F-fred....Freddie--!? Oh my god..."

Sounds like that only came out of lurid porn like no other. He let him go with a mind melting slurp, flicking the swollen glands in parting as he squeezed the base of his cock. Shaggy groaned deeply, breathing heavily to calm himself down. He was so freaking close it wasn't funny, despite that husky laughter rumbling against his skin. So focused on trying not to blow himself into a blackout, he never noticed the slick digit slipping past his defenses until it was too late and had become two. He squirmed at the discomfort, glad for something to bring him back, but regretting it when he curled his fingers and pressed deeply against something he'd never acknowledge aside a plaything for the doctor.

"AAHhh! Oh damn...."

"Oh me, oh my...Shaggy actually swore," Fred smirked. He meant no malice by it, but the red on his cheeks was well worth it. He softened his smirk a bit, chuckling deeply when he gently laved at the tightening sac resting on the edge of his working knuckles. This was probably the only time he might have considered Uncle Liam a closeted pervert and thanked him thoroughly for being one. He could also thank his lucky stars that Shaggy hadn't quite noticed his hands reaching into the nightstand a while back, otherwise he might have freaked. He didn't think he could wait another ten minutes for him to warm up to the idea that sprung to mind each time his fingers delved into that heat.

Okay, now he had to silently thank his cousin for being freakish enough to send him the wrong links on the computer a while back. Otherwise...this would have been **interesting**.

"Like...Fred....if you don't do something soon--"

"Impatient aren't we?"

"Fr-Freddie~~~!! AAAAAAAHHHHH!!"

Temptation proved to be a little too much. He kept a small smile to himself, uncurling his fingers from that bundle of nerves and watching as his cock erupted in an fountain of arching white. He waited for the first convulsion, the first uncontrollable shudder and quickly moved upward to sink himself into that milking heat.

The strange combination of pleasure mingled with the pain of being stretched further kept him on the edge of blacking out. He closed his eyes, tears pricking the ends of them as he fought to adjust to the over sensing combination. He felt him shift and he braced himself, but the surprising feel of his lips on his eyes and the murmured apologies against his lips relaxed him enough to realize that he hadn't softened in the least. If anything, he was harder, and near the point of begging. He didn't quite understand this carnal need, this uncontrollable urge to lift his hips and silently ask him to move, but he knew Fred understood. Fred understood more about them than they knew about themselves, and he knew how to take care of him. He was too easy to spook, too easy to wind up, and it was better this way. Keeping him past the point of thinking too clearly was a good way to make him a further victim of his own needs, legs curling upward and winding themselves around his waistline.

"Shaggy...this isn't going to last long," Fred breathed. "I can't..."

"Then don't..." He carefully moved himself away, letting Fred sink back into him when he regained some sense of himself. That massive thing rubbed him in all the right spots, and he caught himself moaning louder when Fred angled his hips just so. Lips meshed together, tongues sliding and dueling for a dominance that wasn't there, and for once he let himself be swept away in a pleasure he hadn't felt since she'd told him she loved him.

Fred growled, sensing something but not knowing what it was. The off feeling of her swept over him, and he thrust a little deeper and harder. Shaggy had been gone so long...left without a trace and no way to know if he was fine or not. No way to make sure he was sleeping, eating, and getting his daily amount of laughter in with the bad things that tended to happen. No way of knowing if he was smiling through his concern, or knowing if he was crying under his smiles. He hadn't felt that hollow since...**ever. **Not once did he ever think before then that he couldn't see, hear, or be with his best friend. When it happened...it took every fiber of his being not to strangle that girl, steal Shaggy back, and brand him for life.

He groaned, snapping his hips impossibly harder and driving the younger man deeper into the mattress. His fingers dug themselves into his waist, surely bruising but unable to let up the pressure; the intent to hold and stay on, to keep him from leaving and becoming nothing more than a fleeting dream thanks to that book. His cock slid easily in and out of him, accepted with the marking kisses, the possession in his eyes, and the overflow of words screaming something along the lines of "MINE!" when he couldn't take it anymore. He took it all and more, wrapping himself around him and his heart without question. He sat back and roared, the seed of his loins spilling deep into that warmth and triggering the shaft between them to erupt for a third time that night.

He felt the world spin, tumble, and leave his senses up in the air as he collapsed into the waiting arms curling around him. The tension fizzled, and soon there was nothing more than the quaking aftershocks of the moment and the sleepy content they'd been searching for in the first place. Fred shifted his head a bit to gently kiss Shaggy's lightly heaving chest, reveling the feel of his heart thundering loudly against his lips.

"Love you, Shaggy...love you so much...."

If possible, he would swear for many years to come that Shaggy's heart skipped a beat. Shaggy relaxed and hugged him tighter, eyes fluttering closed as he said, "Love you too, Freddie...like...really....love...you."

They dropped off like that, unable to fight sleep any longer. The soft snores of contented people drifted into the melody of a sleeping household, and one slightly awake Great Dane snickering to himself.

* * *

**9:49 a.m.:**

It was going on ten. She noted this for the fourth time in two minutes, anxiously tapping her heeled foot and looking between the clock and her watch. They both said the same thing, but it didn't ease her any. The wedding was in an hour. In an hour her cousin would be wedding the man of his dreams, a first for their family considering the history of good old U.S.A.. It was one of the first commitment ceremonies that would be performed in their family household, and the very first time they adopted a male partner into the family as a bride. Amazing wasn't the word that came to mind when she thought about it. Her heart fluttered in excitement and she had to calm herself down. The very idea of weddings always had her giggling and mentally planning her own...if she could ever manage to snag her man.

Jarrod had nudged her in the ribs last night, winking respectively as she let loose. "You'll get him sooner than you think," he had laughed. "Lad won't know what hit him, ey?"

No he wouldn't. Not if the little number she currently wore had anything to do with it. Her lean elegant body was wrapped in a simple silk dress of pearl tones, reaching down to the length of her knees and further along the A-line cut of the hem. The center of it was wrapped kindly in a deep red sash, accenting the color and drawing attention to her slender frame. The dress was sleeveless and topless, the middle cinched in and structured to lift and accentuate her cleavage. **_'That was done very well, thank you,'_**she thought as she fingered the pearl necklace upon her neck. It went nicely with the bracelet she'd bought on impulse a week ago, and looked better with her hair pinned up in a fashionable Cinderella like hair style. The red pumps were, of course, the make or break of her look. She gave herself the once over one more time and smiled in satisfaction.

"Daphne, have you seen the boys?"

She turned her head toward the voice inquiring what she wanted to know. She half expected to meet the glasses and that same flat brown hair falling into her charming eyes. The unexpected part of her gasped quietly and killed the other half, hands flying to her mouth in delight and shock at the girl standing before her nervously.

When she'd said that she had their outfits picked out for them, she meant she'd narrowed it down to seven. Velma had been left to pick and choose the one she liked best, with a little help from her of course. Velma wasn't easy to shop for, or easy to dress...but damn it if that girl didn't hide that body effectively! They'd seen a bit of it last night on a dare, and now...

"Daphne?"

"Velma, you're gorgeous!" Daphne said.

Now she was making her debut. She'd placed on a modern fit dress that slenderized her form and elongated her more than thought to be. The color was a sheer fun orange that darkened into a luscious red. It reminded her of Velma's old get up, only this was much more flattering and pleasing as far as her body went. The girl hid it well enough. The dress was sleeveless, opting to hold itself up with a choker like collar. It hugged her until the very edge of her hips, were it flared out and stopped in the middle of her thigh. She only had a pair of white shoes to offset the color scheme; classic Mary Jane's with a little height and a shine all their own. She wore a simple set of gold earrings and a beaded necklace that fell to the center of her chest. It didn't deter from her face, which shone brightly without the added distraction of those thick frames.

"I suppose getting those designer frames wasn't such a bad idea," Daphne smirked. "Cute!"

The awaited blush came and furthered the light rose blush that had been applied to her slender cheeks. She ducked her head down, but smiled despite her obvious embarrassment. "Thanks...but, have you seen Shaggy or Fred?"

No she hadn't, and that bothered her. She shook her head to answer and said, "This isn't like them...Fred should have been up at least. He would have woken up Shaggy..."

"Darrel said Fred wasn't in his room this morning."

"He couldn't have gotten lost..."

"No, for once this place isn't so big you need a map to navigate."

Daphne rolled her eyes. "I'm never going to live that down, am I?"

"Nope. Maybe Shaggy's seen him?"

"Or Scooby...hey, where's Scooby anyhow??"

Scooby walked into the main room at the mention of his name, yawning but dressed and groom according to task. He smelt of some sweet and spicy mixture that made the lady dogs swoon and the male dogs growl at his presence. At the age of eight, he was too old and too seasoned to give a crap about those males. He walked by them with his nose in the air, snickering to himself when one of the females yipped after him.

Daphne shook her head at the sight. "Well, Scooby's ready. Hey Scoob, have you seen Shaggy or Fred?"

"RO...." He hadn't, but that didn't mean he didn't know where they were. The girls blinked and looked to each other for answers they didn't quite have. It was a good thing that they didn't have dog noses. They would have gotten that question solved long ago.

Velma tapped her chin in thought. "Maybe...we should see if Shaggy's in his room. If he is, he's probably still sleeping."

"And risk the unsightly form that is Shaggy before breakfast?"

"He did miss breakfast, didn't he?"

Now that wasn't like Shaggy in the least. They shared another look and took off before they could think about it even further. Scooby snorted lightly and walked after them. What Shaggy did in his own time was Shaggy's business.

Carpeted thundering footsteps soon cluttered the silence of the house, trailing up the stairs past the maids tending to their morning routine. Daphne was the first to reach the top of the second level, Velma seconds behind and darting down the hallway Daphne sprinted for. Times like these she was glad she hadn't opted for the tighter dress or those stilettos. How anyone could run in those pin-heels was beyond her. It took less than a minute for the girls to find themselves in front of Shaggy's closed door, and even less time for Daphne to pull a pin from her hair. Like the lock-picker she was, she tested the door and made short work of the lock once she'd confirmed it was locked. Velma silently pondered where she learned how to do all that, or who she learned it from.

"It's a hobby."

"No, hobby's are collecting stamps or postcards. YOU," she said poking her in her bare backside, "Are a thief in the making!"

She couldn't say much to that when the lock clicked and the door knob turned in her hand. She smiled triumphantly. Thief? No. Excellent lock picker? Yes!

Willing to wait for movement before she opened the door? That would be a big NO.

She swung open the door with the intent to shout that lazy man awake, have him leap out the bed and eventually tumble to the ground. From there, it was supposed to be a series of questions, running, and hopefully finding Fred somewhere obscure. So when she swung open the door, she was quite surprised to find that retort of "RISE AND SHINE" dying on her lips. A choked noise came out, and Velma's shriek of "Jinkies!" didn't ring loud enough to stir them from their exhaustion. From behind, Scooby nosed his way in and snickered. The nose knows.

Soft snoring came from the depths of those disheveled sheets, with the sound rise and fall of the thin chest beneath it. Shaggy's head was lolled to the side, buried comfortably in the white pillows that hid half of his face. They could see the result of bed head sticking up on the visible side, and the presence of a bruise just beneath the juncture of his ear. That would have raised several eyebrows if the cause of it wasn't right next to it.

Their missing party member was nuzzled in the nape of Shaggy's neck, arms twined around his lean torso possessively. His blonde hair lie in a disheveled mess mingled with the brown locks he gently blew from his lips with every snore. Eyes closed to the world, they could see that he wasn't exactly wearing a shirt either, nor any pants the further they stepped in. He moved a bit, but no more than to allow himself a bit more comfort as he dropped off again. A small smile of utter satisfaction graced his face. Legs twined with the shapely ones belonging to his human pillow, he dreamt on highly unaware of the shock snapping the minds of their unheard audience.

Another body crept into their silence and whistled low in appreciation. The girls spun and spied Jarrod standing in the doorway, grinning to the point of ear splitting. "I see someone got that clue!" he crowed softly. "Got to the honeymoon before me!"

Daphne's cheeks were as crimson as the sash on her dress. "Oh my...."

"Oh, come on," Jarrod teased, "Like you didn't know! That orange ascot thingy he used to wear was a dead give away."

"I don't think he's that way in general," Velma mused under her own bright cheeks. "I think he's that way for Shaggy....and just Shaggy."

"Ro DUH," Scooby sniffed. He nosed his way past them again and gently shoved them in the direction of the door. "Ret's ro!"

"Scooby's got the right idea lass," Jarrod said. "Let's go. We can grill 'em later."

Velma quickly took her leave. She'd had enough surprises for one morning. Daphne was a little slower to leave. She turned a bit to see Shaggy turn over, falling into the protective embrace of Freddy still in the throws of sleep. Somehow it looked familiar...and at the same time, she couldn't quite keep the twinge from her heart. Jarrod quickly took her by the hand and yanked her out of there. Scooby followed, closing the door gently behind him.

A sleep ridden sapphire eye opened and spied the door. "........nah."

"....Nah, what?"

"I'm not getting up," he murmured. "Not for all the money in China."

"We have to..."

"Says?"

".........oh, whatever. Like, I'm too tired to care."

That settled, he closed his eyes and fell back into oblivion. Another four hours wouldn't kill them.

* * *

**12:15 p.m.:**

"WHAT?!"

"What do you mean you have laryngitis?!" she cried. "How the hell did that happen?!"

"Well, he is a renowned wedding singer," Uncle Liam offered. The older gentleman shrugged and tapped his brow. He'd managed to perform several different weddings in the span of four days, and his voice finally gave out on him. It wasn't like he'd planned it, but getting older tended to do things like that. Daphne almost raked her hands through her hair and pulled. She settled for turning around and screaming inwardly. Something always had to mess up a wedding, even if it wasn't her own.

The wedding had gone off without a hitch. Everything and anything that was meant to be was there, in place, and unable to break the spell of allure that had cast itself over the audience. One would swear that the heavens had opened up to light their little ceremony; the sun gleaming in all its glory in perfect weather and the sweet scent of the outdoor garden there to lighten their hearts. The guests were alive with spirit and life, and love when Darrel was announced and led down the aisle adorned in white. She couldn't quite keep herself from tearing up a bit then. Waterproof makeup and a handy handkerchief kept her tears under control, until the two men had joined hands at the alter. Their vows were heartfelt and laced with the solemn promise of the truest of loves, causing not only her, but several other guests and the groom himself to start bawling. Despite the water works, the doves flew, the lovers kissed, and the ceremony had descended into one big celebration. The promise of dance, food, and liveliness had everyone cheering and headed further into the garden. The canopy tent that held their party the prior night had been decked out for the reception, which included the services of their deejay and a well known wedding singer.

Said wedding singer was currently smiling apologetically at the loving couple. Velma stood nearby, unsure of what all this meant. Daphne bit her lip, and Uncle Liam stiffened a long suffering sigh. Scooby regarded the lot of them, and shook his head. It wasn't like he could sing.

But he knew someone who could.

"REY! Rhat arout Raggy?! Or Red!?"

Daphne neatly tripped over her own feet. "Say what?!"

"Well, they **can** sing," Velma said slowly. The more she thought about it, it was the only solution at the moment. She smiled in confidence. "Yeah, we can ask them to do it!"

"Like, do what?"

The pondering group turned to spy Shaggy and Fred approaching them. Daphne bit her lip again, unable to figure out if she was going to drool or gape. Shaggy had taken on a whole new light to him, no longer that scrawny gangly teenager she'd known through childhood. While he was still lanky and tall, he reminded her of a slightly out of reach model, bent on the cool nostalgia of beatnik and alternative living. His hair naturally fell in waves, curled at the ends and stopping at the nape of his neck. It did nothing to hide the love mark there, and he made no efforts to disguise it. His tuxedo had been opted out for a more casual look; a simple olive shirt with rolled up sleeves to the center of his bicep and a tie loosely done under the open collar of his shirt. His shirt was tucked into a dark pant that fell flawlessly over a pair of vintage converse sneakers. He looked half baked, which only threw off pheromones she hadn't noticed before.

Fred wore something similar, only his shirt was crimson and his shoes were actually dress shoes. The vest he wore was a soft pattern of red and black diamonds that hugged and accentuated his broad chest while sophisticating him. That slicked back do of blonde wasn't there now. It hung in a natural way, parted on the right to fall in scattered neatly cut flails of blonde. The rest was tucked behind his ear, unveiling a mark they hadn't seen this morning. His looked a little more fresh...and that only kept Daphne from speaking a little longer. They weren't at the wedding, assumed to be sleeping the day away for obvious reasons. She'd forgotten about it, until he snuck up and gently nudged Shaggy on his shoulder. That affection she'd seen as brotherly love was now something more...and her own perverse thoughts kept her from thinking straight.

Velma was quick to grab Fred giving her the once over. "Yeah, I know. I'm freaking hot!" she smirked. He smirked in kind, but allowed himself to be pulled by her insisting hands. "Fred, we need you to do something for us."

"What?"

"He," she said pointing to the waving older gentleman, "Is supposed to sing. He can't. YOU have been volunteered."

"Wait, WHAT?!"

"It's either you or Shaggy, and we know Shaggy can sing," she leered. Shaggy abruptly stiffened and shook his head. "Shaggy..."

"LIKE, NO WAY!" he cried. "Nuh-UH. Like, there's a limit to everything I do...and that is ONE thing I will NOT do. Not **even** for a Scooby Snack."

"Rooby Rack?!"

"Like, later Scoob. Promise."

"So that only leaves you," Velma said. Fred gaped, protesting with a rigidity of his body but unable to deter the unnaturally strong shoves of Velma Dinkely. "Sing on, oh mighty leader!"

"Wait, what am I supposed to sing?!" Fred cried as he was unmercifully shoved on the waiting stage. The deejay sent him an apologetic smile as he handed him the list, left and let the band warm themselves up. Fred scanned the page quickly and blinked. "Excuse me?! I'm suppose to sing these?!"

"You don't know the words?"

"I didn't say that!"

"Then you should have no problem. Good luck!"

"Wait a minute~~!! ACK~!"

Like most bands, they started automatically. He looked wildly from the right and left, at a loss but stuck with the task. Part of him was appalled, but the more logically piece of him decided this was Velma's way at getting back at him. She and he both knew he was a light sleeper, and that this morning's revelations weren't privy to anyone aside them. He grinned forcefully at her knowing look, vowing to get her back the moment wedding bells rung in her future.

_"All work and no play,  
That's the way it is ain't it?"_

He quickly took the mike in hand, spying the crowd moving in to dance to the sultry upbeat of this song. He grinned a little, hating the fact that he knew this song and how many girls were going to make a grab at Shaggy standing in the midst of it all.

_"There's a rhythm deep inside of you,  
And you must get reacquainted..._

_Ooh..."_

Like he expected, Shaggy was approached. He could feel himself fumbling not to spoil the song, but found no reason to. Shaggy calmly shook his head and headed for the stage. Daphne and Velma were behind him, and Scooby stayed put at the snack table. Free eats, were free eats!

_"When was the last time you danced?  
When was the last time you danced?"_

"Like last night man!" Shaggy called. Fred held out a hand and quickly pulled him up. He didn't let him freeze, opting to fry his nerved and all senses with the subtle move of his hips.

_"Well come rock with baby...  
Dance with me darling...  
Step with me sweet heart...  
The world is watching..."_

And he didn't quite care. The whole world had seen the best of them, the worst of them, and the strangeness that was life. This was just another part of them, another chapter to add to their weird collection of adventures. He absently looked at his watch and noticed that it was just after 12:20 p.m.. It took him eight years to get this close, and 24 hours to skip past that barrier being best friends had caused. A new record in being ignorant, he supposed. However it played, he knew one thing.

_"Under an endless sky,  
Wish I could fly away forever..._

_And ever..._

_And the poetry so pure  
When we are on the floor together..."_

He was going to dance with him until the sun faded from their lives. He was going to hold him through the nightmares. He was going to love him through his insecurities. He was going to help heal him when he was hurt. When he was down, he'd pick him up. When he was up, he'd take him higher. When life had left him desolate, he'd be the one to renew the lands that were him. He'd always done this as a friend...but never as a lover. Now that they were, he'd place his all into it and more just to make sure Shaggy should never want for anything.

And then he realized just how much he meant it when the thought of her coming back hit him hard.

He was going to beat down the first clawed hand even thinking about touching what had been his unknowingly for the past eight years.

"_It's been a long time..._

_When was the last time you danced?  
When was the last time you danced?_

_Well come rock with me baby...  
dance with me darling...  
Step with me sweetheart...  
The world is watching...._"

Yeah, they'd danced last night. Danced past their knowledge of the other, saw things they hadn't allowed each other to see prior to that moment. After last night, there was no going back. Shaggy knew it, and Fred demanded it. No past relationships were going to ruin this spark, not even the promise of her coming back. Not even the hope of their close friend being shattered in the efforts to regain a chance they knew wasn't there. They had to brave this thing together, not alone and wondering or missing someone who was always there. Shaggy nodded gently, promising that he wouldn't back-peddle. Fred silently promise not to shove him into anything. They both promised not to let the world and its views kill what little normalcy they had in their lives.

_"Don't deny me any further..._

_Let me have my way..._

_Oooh, come closer_

_Let's dance the night awaaaaay~~_

_Come Rock with me baby_

_DANCE with me Darling..._

_STEP with me Sweetheart....._

_The world is Watching..._

_Ohhhhhh!"_

"You gonna kiss him or what?!" Jarrod called.

Maybe. He toyed with the idea until Shaggy stole his breath away. The cat calls coming from their audience spurred the impulsiveness and Shaggy found himself being dipped. Velma's loud "WHOOP!" snapped them out of their little daze, but had them smiling at her, and the young man who'd attached himself to her hip. Daphne clapped from nearby, squished between her laughing cousin and his blushing but lovable "husband". Scooby climbed on the stage and handed Shaggy a piece of the cake he'd managed to snatch, which was promptly half eaten by Fred. He didn't mind it. He simply ate the other half and pretended not to lick his fingers clean.

Fred suppressed the urge to tackle him then and there. "You little..."

"Hmm? You say something Fred?"

He kept a light loving smile to himself as the tempo of the next song hit them. Everyone had grown in their own ways. They both realized this and made one more silent vow: Not to let their new changes disturb the relationship that was them as a whole. Whether it was Mystery Inc. Or "those meddlesome kids", they would always be friends. No matter what.

"Anyone up for a trip to Vegas?"

"Freddie!"

"Just a thought."

And some things would just **never** change.

* * *

Epilogue? MAYBE...

Songs are as follows:

**_Moving Mountains_** by: "Usher"  
**_Simple things pt. 2_** by: "Dirty Vegas"  
**_Right here waiting_** by: "Stain'd"  
_**All Nite (Don't Stop)**_ by: "Janet Jackson"  
_**The Last Time**_ by: "Gnarles Barkley"

I own none of them! But I sure as hell love my ZUNE!!


End file.
